To celebrate the National Underground Railroad Conference in Topeka July 28-31, children in one of the Mulvane Art Museum’s Summer Razzle Dazzle classes created artworks inspired by the visual contexts of the Underground Railroad.

An exhibit of their creations will be on display July 24 to Aug. 11 in the hallway of Garvey Fine Arts Center, adjacent to the Mulvane Art Museum.  The 3D safe houses are on display in ArtLab.

During the class, children learned about the historic journey of the slaves to freedom and how visual images were often used to map the way. Children created paintings of star maps, models “safe houses,” story quilts and quilt blocks that used coded messages. They sang songs, told stories and created works of art based on what it might have felt like to be a slave on the journey to freedom.

Details of the projects:

Safe Houses: Children designed safe houses using information about locations that protected people on their journey. The children’s houses include secret passageways, doors and rooms. They first drew plans for their safe houses and then constructed 3D models. The 3D safe houses are on display in the ArtLab.

Big Dipper and Northern Star: Children created paintings that depict the Big Dipper and the Northern Star that were used as a compass point by slaves. 

Story Quilt: Children created a classroom quilt in which they used drawing, painting and writing to describe the history of the Underground Railroad. They featured important words and symbols associated with the Underground Railroad, and expressed their own feelings about slavery and the slaves’ journeys to freedom. Story Quilts are a way to capture thoughts and inspiration while working on a large project or a Big Idea. The children added to this story quilt throughout the week-long class, as their ideas, feelings and thoughts emerged.

Quilt Block Patterns: Children created quilt squares using fabric collage techniques. The quilt patterns include symbols used in slave quilts as clues to Underground Railroad pathways.

Painted Quilt Symbols: Children looked up the symbols incorporated in the quilt designs, which were used to signify Underground Railroad passages. The children painted the symbols using tempera paint.

“I would join the Underground Railroad”: Children painted images they might use today to signify safe houses. They painted pictures of safe places to be, such as the zoo, the park and their home, and they each included a symbol that others could use to identify their safe house.

The Museum, ArtLab and gift shop hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.  No admission is charged.

The Mulvane Art Museum is located on the Washburn University campus at 17th and Jewell Streets, adjacent to White Concert Hall.  Free parking is available in the lot west of the museum. For additional information, call 785-670-2420 or go to www.washburn.edu/mulvane/.